More Historical Facts

Rhode Island Attorneys General: 1640 - Present

In
1643, Roger Williams obtained a patent (charter) from the English
Parliament. The towns of Providence and Warwick elected a Chief
Officer under the authority of this Parliamentary Patent of 1643.
In 1647, the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, Providence, and Warwick
formed a united colony under the Parliamentary Patent. In May
1650, the offices of "Attorney General for the Colonie" and "Solicitor"
were created.

Attorney-General (General Attorney) under the Patent of 1643

William
Dyre, of
Newport

May 1650 - 1651

Solicitor (General Solicitor) under the Patent of 1643

Hugh
Buit

May 1650 - 1651

In
1651, Newport and Portsmouth broke with the mainland towns of
Providence and Warwick. No Attorney-General was selected for the
latter.

1 Attorney-General of Newport and Portsmouth under
the Coddington Commission

1. In 1651, a separation occurred between the
towns of Providence and Warwick on the one side, which continued the
government under the
Parliamentary Patent of 1643, and Newport and Portsmouth on the other,
which formed a new government under the authority of a commission that
had been granted to William Coddington, appointing him proprietary
Governor-for-life of the islands of Rhode Island (Aquidneck) and
Conanicut (Jamestown). This commission was granted on April
3,1651 by the Council of the State of the Commonwealth of England. [Top]

2.Late in 1651, Roger Williams and John Clarke
sailed to England. Williams was seeking the re-affirmation of the 1643
Parent, and Clarke had been asked by residents of Newport and
Portsmouth to obtain and annulment of William Coddington's Commission.
On October 2, 1652,the Council of State granted their requests. [Top]

3. On July 8, 1663, Dr. John Clarke
obtained for the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations a
Royal Charter from the Court of King Charles. II. [Top]

4. First Attorney-General elected under the
Royal Charter, November 25, 1663. [Top]

5. On June 3, 1686, King James II appointed
Sir Edmund Andros to be Governor of New England, and on September 13,
1686, instructed him to demand the surrender of Rhode Island's Royal
Charter. The Charter was suspended and the government of Rhode
Island swore allegiance to Sir Edmund Andros, but managed to avoid the
surrender of the Royal Charter. [Top]

6. King James II was deposed on
December 10, 1688. King William III and his wife, Queen Mary, were
crowned as joint sovereigns of England on April 11, 1689. The
governorship of Sir Edmund Andros was overthrown on April 18,
1689. On May 1, 1689, the Rhode Island Assembly met in Newport
and ordered that the persons elected in May of 1686 should resume their
offices. [Top]

7. The first election for Attorney-General
after the restoration of the Charter was on May 7, 1690. John
Pococke was elected. [Top]